Wednesday, July 06, 2011

Prayer Flag # 7 and a tutorial

13 detail q
I'm in The Prayer Flag project and want to share a little tutorial on making your own flag, using your drawing skills.
flags 7

1  2
We've lived in our house for 8 years, and these blooms appeared for the very first time ever a month or so ago. They're outside my office window and I watch the hummingbirds visit them everyday.
3
In preparation, I ironed a piece of good quality white muslin (left over with a rabbit drawing on part of it) onto a piece of freezer paper. The freezer paper keeps it flat and easier to draw on. I went outside and quickly drew the new bloom in town with a fabric pen. Straight to pen, a quick, nearly continuous line drawing.
4      6
For the flag itself, I used a scrap of one of my monoprints, tearing it into a 5 x11" piece. I folded over the top 3 inches to make a sleeve on the back for hanging.
7
I removed the freezer paper from the drawing and ironed the drawing onto fusible webbing with a paper backing. Then, I cut out the drawing, with the fusible backing paper still on. 8
Once it was cut out, I removed the fusible backing paper and ironed it on to the flag.
9
I embroidered french knots onto the blossoms, and then machine free-motion sitched the lines of the drawing in black thread.
10
This is the back of the flag (I added a piece of plain muslin to the back before I free motioned stitched) I also wrote a few lines that moved me.
11

12
I added some more contrast in the negative areas with color pencil, so the plant drawing would show up.
label 3
I printed out a sheet of labels, so now all my flags are dated and named on the back.

prayer flag~ for everything thing there is a season
Flag # 7: For everything there is a season.
13 detail b

13 detail

The lyrics from The Birds song "To Everything there is a Season"
To everything - turn, turn, turnThere is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

A time to be born, a time to die

A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep

To everything - turn, turn, turn

There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

A time to build up, a time to break down

A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones
A time to gather stones together


To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

A time of war, a time of peace

A time of love, a time of hate
A time you may embrace
A time to refrain from embracing

To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven


A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time to love, a time to hate
A time of peace, I swear it's not too late!

18 comments:

  1. beautiful flag, Jane, and a great idea to print out the labels...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Are you hanging these in your patio? In the shade? I'm enjoying them and thinking of giving it a whirl too. I saw the YUDU machine on sale at Michaels. I've made some stencils using stencil pro, but thought it would sure be handy to have something a bit more convenient.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Beautiful flag... and a wonderful reminder "for everything there is a season". Lyrics by the Birds originally taken from Ecclesiates 3: 1-8. Thanks for sharing

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great little tute, Jane! Loving your flags...

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am hanging them in the backyard, but it really doesn't matter about the shade. I like the idea of the flags ageing and fading in the wind over time.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I really like this idea! Thanks for another great tutorial.
    :0)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for the wonderful tutorial! The idea of hanging flags outside is enchanting. I just heard about the prayer flag project, and really admired all the beauty and heart put into it. Wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  8. This is terrific - from the stitching to the coloring to the lyrics. Thanks for sharing. Lori W at Art Camp for Women

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wow, what an amazing piece of art.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Love the tutorial and the reminder of these beautiful words. Thanks for an uplifting start to my day!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks for the tutorial and for getting me all excited about making the flags! The labels are also a great idea......dating and signing all our works is really important, even if it is a tiny flag that will fade to pastels over the years. You inspire me Jane!
    (hey)Jude

    ReplyDelete
  12. well, I wish I had read this before I made my first one today....I made it 8x8 and folded the 3 inches down, and had a 5x8 rectangle....but it goes east/west instead of north/south, if you know what I mean. So, I'll revise the others that I cut out, but I'll keep my first one for the center because it is an important one to me (healing for my sister)
    thanks for the tutorial

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi Jane,

    I have been wanting to do a few prayer flags to hang from the ceiling of my studio. I am going to start my own prayer flag project this afternoon. Thanks for being the catalyst!

    ReplyDelete
  14. What is that amazing plant?!!

    ReplyDelete
  15. you are an inspiration. I would love to teach with you.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Thank you for this tutorial. I have been asked to lead a group making Prayer Flags. Seeing how you worked through your project has really helped. Regards Joan

    ReplyDelete
  17. I am so grateful that I found this wonderful, delightful and very sacred idea.I found you on YouTube-a tutorial on circles from Interweave and from there to your website and then to the prayer flag project.You might say a journey of sorts!I have a perfect spot for a string of flags....... Ehank You ,May Olson,Thousand Palms Ca

    ReplyDelete
  18. this is a BéÂüTïFüL flag, and a fun tutorial!
    So many great ideas offered...

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for visiting JaneLaFazio.com!

Related Posts with Thumbnails